Sandisk goes for speed with new microSD, USB range

Sandisk has announced the Australian availability and price for its brand new Extreme microSDHC and microSDXC memory cards; and targeting those who want the fastest expandable memory for their tablets, smartphones and cameras.

The cards, in a small lunch with several IT journalists in Melbourne today (which we were invited to), the manager for Australia George Saad said that the new cards are designed to take advantage of the new photography features now found on big premium smartphones – for instance, the Lumia 1020 with its 41 megapixel camera.

The SDXC cards will feature some of the fastest read/write speeds in the market, with up to 80MB/sec read and up to 50MB/sec write speeds. While largely targeted for smartphones, the cards can also be used in the latest cameras and small, wearable camcorders like the Go-Pro. Sandisk is also touting its durability – able to resist x-rays, and are shock and waterproof.

At the very same lunch, the company also touted its brand new high-performance Ultra USB 3.0 flash drive, that can transfer files up to 80MB/sec. The company is targeting this flash drive as an entry-level USB 3.0 drive, given the prevalence of USB 3.0 ports now on laptops and ultrabooks. The Ultra USB 3.0 also comes with its SecureAccess software that provides 128-bit AES file encryption if you need that extra level of security.

The cards are available now in Australia, with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Both the 16GB and 32GB models are microSDHC cards, while the 64GB is the only microSDXC card in the line up. The recommended retail price starts, however, at a very pricey $69.00.

The Ultra USB 3.0 drive will come in 16GB to 64GB storage capacities, with a RRP pricetag of $29.95 to $89.95.